UK Localism in Transition and the Politics of Community

An in-depth account of community organising in post-industrial areas, told in organisers’ own voices.

Heather Watkins is a Senior Lecturer in European Studies at Nottingham Trent University. Her research focuses on tensions between democracy and neoliberalism, with a particular interest in localism and decentralised politics as a response to the effects of globalisation.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Local Heroes and Socially Entrepreneurial Communities Chapter 2: The Political Discourse of Social Capital: Turning Conflict into Consensus? Chapter 3: The Politics of Community: Optimism of the Will in the East Midlands Chapter 4: Place: Locality and Political Economy Chapter 5: Process: Making Social Capitalists Chapter 6: People and Politics: Citizens, the State and Localism in Practice Chapter 7: Conclusions: High Hopes and Localism in Practice Bibliography Appendix: Abbreviations